Why is my puppy's one ear up and one ear down? Is it normal?

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. Sometimes this can be contributed to developmental factors and the cartilage in the ear becomes more firm in a particular position. Sometimes an ear infection can cause an ear to lay differently then the other. I would recommend having Lily's ears examined by a veterinarian so that the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment recommendations can be made. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any further questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

That could be completely normal, but sometimes (not very often I have to admit) is related to ear infection/inflammation. If you see any signs of possible inflammation (head shaking, scratching, discharge from ear, redness of skin..) then a check up is needed, otherwise I would consider it normal. Please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

Your pet has a cartilage defect, this cannot be helped unfortunately. Cartilage cannot be bent or repaired like bone, because of how it is made. However there is no real danger to your pet as this is purely cosmetic, so I would not be too concerned about it. You will just have to accept that your pet has a cosmetic difference that gives him character and love him all the same.

If you are trying to say that your puppy has 1 ear that is folded backwards, then this likely is a cartilage defect of the ear pinna. There really isn't anything you can do about this since cartilage has a very low blood supply and cannot be casted or molded into the desired shape. Daisy will just have to be loved for her special backwards facing ear. This shouldn't cause her any pain or subject her to any complications later on in life, so no worries there.

I would get it checked to make sure there isn't something going on. If his ears were plucked at the groomer it may have irritated his ear canal and that could make him hold his ear down rather than up if he feels he needs to protect it.

If the ear is droopy and she is shaking her head she probably has an ear infection. Because of the head shaking and probably scratching as well, blood vessels in the ear are exploding, causing blood and fluids to fill the pinea ans swell. This condition is called "ear hematoma" and needs medical or surgical treatment. The ear infection needs to be treated as well as it is the primary cause, usually ear drops from the vet will solve this, in some cases systemic antibiotics are prescribed as well. Regarding the the droopy ear I personally prefer the medical treatment (steroids for 4 weeks) over the surgical one, unfortunately most vets will still opt for the surgery.

I am sorry to hear about your concern for your puppy! Unfortunately in many dogs we can have changes in the carraige of the ears as they grow/mature. In some breeds, such as german shepherds, the ears will be taped by a vet or experienced dog breeder in an attempt to get them to stand in a certain manner, but this is not a gaurantee of the altering of the ear carraige. If you are not planning on showing your dog, I would accept her for ear sweet self and learn to love her funny ears (and they may continue to change as she grows). I myself have a lab mix with ears that do not match in their carriage. It gives them character!